Aghinagh 1-12

Donoughmore 0-15

BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS

LIAM Twohig held his nerve to convert a 14-metre free and earn Ahinagh a replay in an exciting Ross Oil Mid Cork Junior Football Championship final.

Donoughmore came from four points down with ten minutes left in Macroom on Saturday to take the lead when Rory Honohan pointed. Their fans have been waiting since 2011 for this Mid Cork crown. But battling Aghinagh found an equaliser that sends the teams back to Macroom this Saturday for the replay (3pm).

There was early drama as Kevin O’Riordan in the Donoughmore goal made a superb save from a close-range Liam Twohig shot in the second minute. Two minutes later Adam Dinan opened the scoring with a smashing two-pointer to settle the young Donoughmore men.

Shane Corkery opened the Aghinagh account and William Coakley, from a mark, kicked the equaliser in the seventh minute, 0-2 each. After Aghinagh moved two clear, thanks to Twohig efforts, Gavin O’Sullivan kicked a two-pointer for Donoughmore. 0-4 each.

Against the run of play, Donoughmore hit two quick points from corner forward Scott Barrett to retake the lead. It was level again when Declan Ambrose, central to much of his side’s finer moments, kicked a two-pointer to level the scores, 0-6 each.

In the five minutes before the interval Donoughmore showed their attacking qualities with a point from a Declan Keating free followed by another from Scott Barrett. From the kick out, David McDonnell fired over another to give his side a 0-9 to 0-6 half-time lead.

Aghinagh had a good start to the second half with a Con Buckley score after three minutes but Declan Keating replied for Donoughmore to maintain the three-point gap.

Con Buckley saw his bullet of a shot across the Donoughmore goal go just wide but in the 38th minute, Buckley had a point. When Liam Twohig added another on 42, the Donoughmore lead was down to a single point, 0-10 to 0-9.

At the three-quarter mark, Liam Twohig sent Con Buckley through but the Aghinagh centre forward was denied by a fine save by Kevin O’Riordan at the expense of a 45. Twohig’s effort from the free kick fell short into the crowded Donoughmore goalmouth and it was Gearóid O’Sullivan who rose highest to fist the ball to the net and put Aghinagh into a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.

Aghinagh almost had another goal immediately after – Seán Cummins was put through by Ambrose, but was denied by another super save by Kevin O’Riordan. When Liam Twohig’s free from outside the arc went sailing over the Donoughmore crossbar to give Aghinagh a 1-11 to 0-10 advantage, they were in full flight.

In the 50th minute the four-point gap was halved when Gavin O’Sullivan kicked a two-pointer from a free. Scott Barrett had a point to reduce the gap to the minimum, before wing back Rory Honohan sent over an equalising point.

In the remaining eight hectic minutes, eventually Donoughmore broke the stalemate with a fine point, again from Rory Honohan whose shot appeared to be going wide but curled delightfully inside the upright in the 59th minute.

Donoughmore hopes that this was the winner were dashed as Aghinagh came down the field and Liam Twohig proved to be their saviour with an equalising point from a confidently taken pressure free into the town goal.

Scorers

Aghinagh: L Twohig 0-6 (2ptf, 2f); G O’Sullivan 1-0; D Ambrose (2pt), C Buckley 0-2 each; W Coakley, S Corkery 0-1 each.

Donoughmore: G O’Sullivan 0-4 (2ptf, 2pt); D Keating (1f), S Barrett 0-3 each; A Dinan (2pt), R Honohan 0-2 each; D McDonnell 0-1.

Aghinagh: Jason McCarthy; TJ Buckley, Donagh O’Riordan, Olan Cummins; Declan Ambrose, Luke O’Leary, Tom Buckley; Mathew McCarthy, Thomas Morgans; Sean O’Riordan, Con Buckley, Shane Corkery; William Coakley, Liam Twohig, Gearóid O’Sullivan.

Subs: Seán Cummins for W Coakley (ht), Tadhg Sheehan for S O’Riordan (37), Aodh Twomey for G O’Sullivan (49).

Donoughmore: Kevin O’Riordan; Frankie Honohan, Mark Foley, Seán Broderick; Rory Honohan, Josh Crowley, Kevin O’Connell; Seán O’Hanlon, Mark Lucey; Adam Dinan, Gavin O’Sullivan, Daniel Holland; Declan Keating, David McDonnell, Scott Barrett.

Subs: Paul Crowley for A Dinan, Donnacha Morrissey for D Holland (both 43), Liam O’Sullivan for K O’Connell (48).

Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).